The Toronto-based group For Our Grandchildren has produced this wonderful video:
For Our Grandchildren – Something Must Be Done from Stephen Best on Vimeo.
If the video stutters, click on the HD in the lower-right-hand corner. Even in “low-def”, it’s quite high-definition.
Notice anything different about the site? Me neither. Thank Shawn Khan for that. He moved DanforthGreens.ca to a new, more reliable, host. While not disturbing anything else.
Tim’s statement on local arts and youth engagement at City Hall as part of the Toronto 300.
Tim Whalley has been chosen by the local riding association to represent the Green Party of Ontario in the 2011 provincial elections. Voting day is October 6.
Tim is the executive director of Scarborough Arts and actively works with a broad range of organizations, stakeholders and residents to enrich the community and make it more liveable. He holds a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, and has taught at the university level and served on a number of boards of directors. Tim lives in the Greenwood / Gerrard neighbourhood with his teacher wife and their infant child. He is a member of local organizations such as the Toronto Environmental Alliance and Toronto Cyclists Union. Read more »
Update: Read Patricia’s first-hand report.
Toronto-Danforth resident and climate activist Patricia Warwick was just arrested in Washington D.C. while opposing the Keystone XL pipeline, which is to allow for the expansion of tar sands operations in Canada. President Obama is to reject or approve the plan later this year.
The “mug shot” photo was taken by the group Tar Sands Action. And here she is at the protest, in the red behind the sign, in a big sun hat:
Patricia’s arrest was covered in the Globe and Mail and Ottawa Citizen, where she was quoted as saying, Read more »
I have never been prouder to be a Green. Bravo to Elizabeth, the only member of Parliament who refused to support the escalation of war in Libya.
This note was written on May 1 by Sarah Kitai, the daughter of one of our exceptional, dedicated candidates, Georgina Wilcock from Don Valley West, and reflects a lot of the feelings many of us have felt. Election battles seem to be all about soundbites and jabs and media attention. Unsatisfying results affect all parties but it is particularly hard on Greens, because what we’re fighting for is not just seats or even a political vision – we’re fighting for a Parliament that supports humanity. The stakes really are that high, and it really is true that every other party is fundamentally compromised. Georgina, wrap Sarah in your arms and tell her you will never stop fighting for her future.
So, as our 41st federal election nears its inevitable conclusion, it seems appropriate to reflect on the highs and lows of the campaign. It has certainly been a long five weeks.I’ll start with the positives. I have not yet heard a single constituent deny the existence of climate change, or dismiss the environment as an issue not worthy of our attention. While rarely discussed in the media, these are nevertheless serious concerns on the minds of most Canadians. At the door, I’ve met intelligent, upstanding citizens with an appreciation of democracy and well-informed political opinions. Read more »
Elizabeth May did get elected.
Le journal francophone L’Express a interviewé plusieurs candidats politiques qui se présentent contre des chefs de partis. Ma mère, Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, figure entre eux.
Gagner une élection n’est jamais très facile, mais gagner une élection contre le chef d’un grand parti est encore moins facile. Imaginez ceux qui se présentent contre Stephen Harper en Alberta, combien de chances ont-ils de gagner? Peu, je vous l’accorde. À Toronto, les chefs du Parti libéral et du Nouveau Parti démocratique se présentent respectivement dans les circonscriptions d’Étobicoke-Lakeshore et Toronto-Danforth. L’Express a rencontré trois candidats qui osent jouer les troubles-fêtes dans les circonscriptions des chefs.
Just had a Portuguese language interview with Sandro Miranda of PanTV. He pointed me to a Brazilian campaign to reduce water use. I have been impressed with the creativity of public campaigns in Brazil on AIDS, abuse of women, nutrition among the poor and other areas. Brazil routinely achieves tremendous progress on the cheap. Here’s how they are reducing water use:
You can find more endorsements like these on the new video endorsements page. Hilary and Ed have fuller videos there.
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Congratulations to all women on this centenary Women’s Day when we celebrate one hundred years of progress for women. I’ve been listening to Peter Gabriel sing his wonderful song Shaking the Tree with Youssou N’Dour in celebration of Women’s Day. Would be even better if it were written by a woman, but it’s hard to complain about men singing in celebration of women’s achievements.
Here is Elizabeth May being her usual eloquent self, Read more »
Tim’s action to block the sale of federal lands for mining rights to the fossil fuel industry was one of those pure, spontaneous and beautiful expressions of nonviolent public opposition to monstrous policy. The publicity raised by his actions led directly to the withdrawal of the mining leases by the incoming Obama administration. Nonetheless, yesterday Tim DeChristopher was convicted and faces prison time. He is a hero.
A few years ago, Elizabeth May said that we need to plan cities around the child, instead of around the car. There’s now a movement around 8-80 cities that calls on cities to be planned with two groups of people in mind – 8 year olds and 80 year olds. The theory is that if you take care of the young and old, the able-bodied in between will be able to look after themselves. It’s a compassionate approach to community building with the goal of safe streets, local economies and cohesive neighbourhoods, rather than maximum mobility. And it’s very much at the heart of what the Green Party is all about.
There is a lot of noise being made today about the Pembina Institute’s comparison of the Metrolinx and Mayor Rob Ford’s transit expansion plans. The Toronto Star reported on it and the Toronto Environmental Alliance has been alerting its members to it as well. Whether you prefer subways or light rail, you still have to conclude that Mayor Ford’s plan is inconsistent with his stand on reducing waste. If you want subways to deliver anywhere close to the kind of service you can get from surface transit, you better be prepared for substantially higher taxes.
Meanwhile, George Monbiot in the United Kingdom is facing the identical nonsensical rhetoric of “ending the war against the car”, and writes as only he can: Read more »
You can hear Tim Jackson and Peter Victor argue for a steady-state economy while Paul Ekins and Richard Lipsey promote green growth.
An audio recording of the debate is available online, and it will be rebroadcast on the CBC:
No Growth vs Green Growth debate
Tuesday, 2011 February 2, 9pm
Ideas on CBC Radio One
I want to thank a local supporter for alerting me to Tim Jackson’s presence in Canada. Jackson is an economist working with Canadian economist Peter Victor on modeling an economy not built around constant growth. Read more »
Something truly magical is happening in Cancun. Patricia Espinosa got a standing ovation when she returned after giving people a couple of hours to peruse the text. Read more »
This morning, a group of 30 Greens from all over the world gathered for breakfast in Cancun. Most were officeholders in Europe, either in the EU Parliament or in country governments. But municipal councillor Cathy Oke arrived from Melbourne, Australia, former Santa Monica mayor Mike Feinstein came from the United States, and four Canadian Greens joined in with three Brazilians, including the leader of the Brazilian Greens, Senator Marina Silva, who gathered 20 million votes in the last presidential election, earning 20% of the popular vote, 30% of the urban vote and winning the popular vote outright in Brazil’s capital city of Brasilia.
From left to right: Ronan Dantec, Deputy Mayor of the city of Nantes (France); Marina Silva, Presidential Candidate (Brazil); Dr Cathy Oke, City of Melbourne Councillor (Australia); Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, Green Party of Canada Climate Change Critic; Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada
I had wanted to meet Marina ever since she left Lula’s government over disagreements about dam-building and other environmentally damaging policies and began to consider running for the Greens. Read more »
I’ve never been to a COP before, but I’ve been involved in climate change issues long enough to recognize a very sad trend from fighting to prevent it to squabbling over the money to deal with it. Far more energy is being spent today to discuss the costs of adaptation, primarily for countries that have had very little to do with causing it. More and more effort is spent by scientists not in evaluating the broad implications of a warming planet, but in evaluating the much more narrow human-scale impacts it will cause. Read more »
First time I’ve met with Shadow Cabinet in person. A collegial and productive meeting, preparing for the convention, preparing to absorb policy changes and preparing for a possible upcoming election.
Is this beautiful? Yes, it is beautiful. Patricia made it.
I watched Avatar with my family on New Year’s Day and highly recommend it. One of my friends described it as a futuristic Pocahontas story that ends well for the natives. He also found it amusing that the substance for which mankind was willing to lay waste to the beautiful moon of Pandora was called unobtainium. Spoilers ahead. Read more »
Yesterday, I had the privilege of hearing George Monbiot speak live for the second time in my life. It is a very rare privilege because two years ago, shortly after the last time I saw him, when he was on a tour promoting his then newly-published book Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning, he promised himself never to fly again.
He joked that he broke his promise for this trip because it was easier than putting off the pestering Canadians any longer. But he was also clearly here because he was concerned about Canada’s position on climate change and the direction our government was taking both the country and the world.
I was very glad I went. First of all, I was glad simply because it’s inspiring to listen to someone who is so informed, so eloquent and so principled and inspiring. But I was also glad because there’s just so much more that can be said in person than could ever fit into a printed article. It’s relatively easy to make guarded and thoughtful statements when you can erase what you don’t like. To my delight, Monbiot in person presents as even more compassionate and sensible than he does on paper.
To me the most interesting point of the event occurred during the questions that followed, when one person asked about Mr. Monbiot’s opposition to biochar. Read more »
Please take a moment to remember those who served selflessly to protect our lives and our democracy.
Emma Richardson
Ann Peel
Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu